Bird feeders near windows could put birds at risk if you get the distance wrong. (Image: Alex Evans)
Anyone who has a bird table has been warned not to place it too far from their window.
It might sound like the opposite of what you’d expect, but bird tables actually need to be closer to windows rather than too far away – because of the risk posed to birds flying to them.
Bird tables are a popular addition to many , providing a place to leave food out for our feathered friends all year round, which fits in with a tidy and natural garden aesthetic, and at this time of year, robins, magpies, starlings and other perennial birds will swoop in and get some much-needed winter sustenance.
But if you put your bird table or feeding station the wrong distance away from a window, it could actually risk killing birds.
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website Wild Birds Unlimited (Wbu.com) says that you need to place bird feeding stations or tables within three feet (or one meter) of the window or further than ten feet (3 meters) away.
That’s because bird strikes, where birds fly into your window and kill themselves from the impact, happen at any distance between those.
If you place it between three to 10 feet away, it’s the ‘risk zone’ where birds could be able to get up enough speed to hit your window with fatal consequences.
WBU says: “Place bird feeding stations within three feet (1 meter) of the window or beyond ten feet (3 meters).
“Within three feet, birds ‘fleeing’ the feeder area will not have built up enough speed to injure themselves if they strike the window.
“Beyond ten feet, birds will have enough time to spot and avoid the window.”
If you find a window in your home regularly attracting bird strikes, you can also take steps to prevent them.
It recommends hanging strips across the window at 10cm intervals, which can help make it more visible, as well as films on your window to help increase its contrast.